--- title: "BRCD Contracts for Innovation Challenge 1" ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-079177" canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-079177" markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-079177.md" json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-079177.json" source: "Find A Tender Service" current_stage: "Planning" buyer: "Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMD)" published: "2026-10-27" --- # BRCD Contracts for Innovation Challenge 1 Buyer: Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMD) Current stage: Planning OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-079177 [View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-079177) [Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-079177.json) ## Summary Newry Mourne & Down District Council plans a Contracts for Innovation challenge to develop a way for local authorities to predict and manage visitor demand and movement at tourism destinations. Castlewellan Forest Park will be the real-world test environment. The work is intended to help councils understand what drives changes in visitor numbers and respond before pressure affects local roads, parking, waste services, biodiversity or infrastructure. The aim is to replace fragmented, reactive management based on static measures with connected, evidence-led predictive decision-making. The procurement covers a solution involving technology and research and development, including networks, sensors, software and IT services. Delivery is across six areas in Northern Ireland, including the council district; Castlewellan Forest Park is the named test site. This is at the planning stage: the council has set out its intention to procure, but has not yet invited tenders. The competition is expected to be published on 9 November 2026. The planned route is a multi-stage competitive flexible procedure, with an invitation to tender followed by development and build phases; dialogue or negotiation may be added. The council provisionally intends to hold an online information session on 18 November 2026 at 11am, lasting about 45 minutes, subject to approval. The planned submission deadline is 11 December 2026, with award expected by 18 December 2026. The intended contract period is 18 December 2026 to 17 December 2030, with further options possible. It is one planned lot, and a framework agreement is envisaged for six Belfast-region councils. The challenge is suited to suppliers able to develop and test practical, data-led solutions for visitor-demand forecasting and destination management. Relevant strengths may include software and information systems, sensor or network technology, IT consultancy and development, and research and development; suppliers will need to bring these capabilities together to address tourism pressures in a rural setting. The buyer is seeking predictive intelligence that helps local authorities understand visitor movement and its drivers, and anticipate impacts on roads, parking, waste services, biodiversity and infrastructure. The use of Castlewellan Forest Park as a test environment favours teams able to work with a real destination and translate evidence into usable decision support for councils. The planned staged competition includes development and build phases, so suppliers should be prepared to develop and demonstrate a solution through successive stages. The published description does not set specific technical accreditations or minimum experience requirements. ## Notice The tender opportunity will be published on Simply Do platform under the challenge titled: Predicting Demand. Managing Tomorrows Visitors, Today "How can local authorities anticipate and manage visitor demand and movement across key destinations, while understanding the factors driving these changes, so they can proactively mitigate potential impacts before they become a problem." This challenge is focused on transforming how local authorities manage visitor destinations. Using Castlewellan Forest Park as a real-world test environment, the initiative addresses the growing pressures that large rural tourism destinations face from fluctuating visitor demand, which impacts local roads, parking, waste services, biodiversity, and infrastructure. Historically, council management has relied on static measures and reactive interventions, such as annual visitor numbers or seasonal passes, which fail to provide real-time insights or predictive intelligence. The proposed project aims to transition local authority management from a fragmented, reactive approach to a connected, evidence-led, and predictive decision-making model. ### Lot Information Lot 1 Options: Further information will be provided within the UK4 Tender Notice and associated documents. ## Key Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication source | Find A Tender Service | | Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/101655-2026 | | Notice type | UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice | | Procurement type | Framework | | Procurement category | Goods | | Procurement method | Open | | Procurement method details | Competitive flexible procedure | | Tender suitability | Not specified | | Awardee scale | Not specified | | All stages | Planning | ## Dates | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Publication date | 27 Oct 2026 | | Submission deadline | Not specified | | Future notice date | 9 Nov 2026 | | Award date | Not specified | | Contract period | 18 Dec 2026 - 17 Dec 2030 | | Recurrence | Not specified | ## Values | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender value | Not specified | | Lots value | Not specified | | Awards value | Not specified | | Contracts value | Not specified | ## Status | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Tender status | Planned | | Lots status | Planned | | Awards status | Not specified | | Contracts status | Not specified | ## Buyer | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Main buyer | Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMD) | | Locality | NEWRY | | Postcode area | Northern Ireland | | Postcode | BT34 2QU | | Country | Northern Ireland | | ITL 1 | TLN Northern Ireland | | ITL 2 | TLN0 Northern Ireland | | ITL 3 | TLN08 Newry, Mourne and Down | | Local authority | Newry, Mourne and Down | | Electoral ward | Abbey | | Westminster constituency | Newry and Armagh | | Delivery location | TLN06 Belfast, TLN08 Newry, Mourne and Down, TLN09 Ards and North Down, TLN0D Antrim and Newtownabbey, TLN0E Lisburn and Castlereagh, TLN0F Mid and East Antrim | ## CPV Codes ### Divisions - 32 - Radio, television, communication, telecommunication and related equipment - 35 - Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment - 48 - Software package and information systems - 72 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support - 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ### Codes - 32400000 - Networks - 35125100 - Sensors - 48000000 - Software package and information systems - 72000000 - IT services: consulting, software development, Internet and support - 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services ## Release History - 27 Oct 2026 at 15:11 - Planning - UK3 - Planned Procurement Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/101655-2026 ## Documents - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/101655-2026 27th October 2026 - Planned procurement notice on Find a Tender ## Notice URLs - https://belfastregioncitydeal.co.uk/projects/contracts-for-innovation-solving-challenges-across-the-belfast-region - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents - https://www.newrymournedown.org/ - https://www.sign-in.service.gov.uk/register - https://www.simplydo.co.uk/ ## Provenance This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-079177. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-079177.json.